


Untitled or How Reishin was indirectly responsible for the Imperial Examinations of Doom

by bootoye (sherlocked_bootoye)



Category: Saiunkoku Monogatari
Genre: Gen, Humour, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 19:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2519510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlocked_bootoye/pseuds/bootoye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kou Houju, Kou Reishin and Tei Yuushuun meet during the registration for the Imperial Examinations.  Chaos ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untitled or How Reishin was indirectly responsible for the Imperial Examinations of Doom

**Author's Note:**

> As the title says. This is my take on the cause of the Imperial Examinations of Doom. Please bear with me on this.
> 
> Silliness abounds. I guess its AU for (the terrible three and their origins)
> 
> Based on pre-series canon. 
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari nor the characters but I wish I did ^^

The palace guard shifted his foot slightly and adjusted his light blue surcoat, as he tried to find a comfortable place to stand. The candidates for the Imperial examinations were gathering in the courtyard and he was assigned duty at the outer gates. Candidates in their various coloured robes and tunics flowed by and really all he had to do was inspect tokens and wave them through. It never ceased to amaze him year after year the sheer amounts of people of all ages who presented themselves for the pre-qualifier exams which would determine who could then sit the actual imperial examinations. It was very straightforward enough work but he was feeling tired after standing in the same spot for almost 4 hours now. Maybe if he hadn’t been in full dress armour, things would not be so bad! So he sighed and kept checking tokens mindful of not letting his halberd fall forward.

 

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a slight figure slowly approaching the gates from the right. Oh, this had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Long flowing black hair spilled down her shoulders, hiding her face but he could still glimpse part of the soft porcelain skin of her finely shaped chin and just the hint of a perfect nose. If only her head was not slightly bowed, he wanted to get a better look at her face.

 

“Um, sto… ahem, stop my lady!” He did manage to raise his voice beyond the sudden lump in his throat to continue. “This entrance is for candidates only!” The vision in the pale yellow silk robes halted abreast of the guard but still had not lifted her head. ‘Oh so sweetly demur as well and what a pretty shade of pink she blushes!’ For indeed he could just make out a pink flush taking over the small amounts of visible skin. ‘The yellow just emphasizes her alabaster colouring and does not in any way make her look pale or sickly, as yellow usually does to ordinary complexions. If only you could get a girl like this Youshi,’ he thought to himself.

 

“Ladies enter at the next entrance miss,” he continued unaware, due to his internal monologue, of the tension building in the figure before him. “Your beauty tells me that you must be a new hand maiden or a new concubine… Their interviews are being held at the next gate…”

 

He broke off after what seemed to be a quiet interruption from the maiden, however he did not quite hear what she had whispered. “I’m sorry I did not hear…”

 

“I -I said, I am not a woman. I am a man!” A rich voice which sounded like honey on silk quickly cut off the guard’s sentence. The slight ‘man’ clenched his fists at his side with such fervor that his knuckles were pure white and he seemed to be trembling slightly, all over. As the guard started in shock at the very masculine, yet mesmerizing, voice coming from the ‘lady’; another voice cut in.

 

“Hn, seems more like a boy than a man to me.” Scorn dripped like acid from an elegant tongue. Its owner was richly clothed in cream and blue robes of finest silk, trimmed in red. The young nobleman had bold brown eyes and a taunting smirk on his lips. Youshi knew the look of someone with power but this man also seemed dangerous.

 

“After all," he continued haughtily, “men do not bow their heads like that. All the men I know, walk with their heads high; especially a ‘man’ of good birth... I’ll have to make sure that I get into the dorm with only men resident. Boys would keep me awake crying for their mothers.”

 

Houju lifted his head furiously but he was only in time to see the ponytail flying at the back of that obnoxious fellow’s head. He was embarrassed but not quite understanding why; he was accustomed to people mistaking him for a woman but never before had someone questioned his masculinity or maturity after having found out the truth. He was furious and he stalked past the now dumbfounded guard and entered into the courtyard.

 

Kou Houju had been a very pretty child, he was the cutest child in the Kou clan or Saiunkoku for that matter and most of his relatives saw him as a delicate flower which needed to be kept inside Kou manor, away from rough sport or physical activities. Thankfully his father declared that as Kou heir, pretty or not he must learn the basics of horsemanship, academics and sword techniques. Houju excelled at all three and his tutor was hard-pressed to provide him with all the knowledge he required at the pace he demanded. By the time he was 15 years old, he had taken responsibility for his own education and during the past three (3) years or so, he gained the necessary knowledge for him to take part in the imperial exams.

 

Fortunately for Houju while he was a pretty child people just wanted to pinch his cheeks and admire his cuteness. Puberty came late, which was a blessing, as he did not grow to manhood until around his 16th year. From that fateful day however, Houju was forced to avoid being in the presence of strangers. His family was accustomed to his devilish good looks and never batted an eye at his face, or hair nor did they swoon at his voice. Visitors to the Kou household however ended up losing whole days as they found themselves dazed by his sheer beauty; this made him decidedly uncomfortable. The really embarrassing thing though was that men more than women seemed to be smitten by his looks. Fortunately, most of them were too besotted to attempt unwarranted advances on his person but there had been one or two who were just lucid enough to try to play suitor.

 

Houju had eventually learned that avoiding eye contact and draping his long tresses over his face, while keeping his head slightly bowed, helped him to actually converse with people. He thought that this method would suffice for this outing to allow him to write the preliminary tests. But that arrogant, pompous peacock has totally humiliated him before the guard. He’ll show him, he didn’t know who he was but his fine robes indicated a member of one of the seven noble families, he was around Houju’s own age; he (Houju) would avoid him and make sure he was assigned to a different dorm.

 

“The nerve!” Houju muttered to himself, scowling darkly as he approached the small red and white building where registration was being conducted. During his irate monologue, he kept his fists clenched, back straight; unbound hair flying out behind him, eyes completely focussed on the large red door ahead. Had he been more aware of his surroundings, he would have seen several young men stumbling backwards off the footpath, jerking like they had touched live wire, as he passed. But lost in his thoughts he was totally unaware. So it was quite a shock when he walked straight into a young man; hard enough that both of them lost their balance and ended up on the ground. Houju landed on his bottom, hard, the wind knocked out of him. It seemed his day could get worst, he thought morosely as he sat still in the dirt and grass.

 

“Oh, I am sorry! I was not looking at where I was going. Please let me help you up.” A slightly tanned hand was extended before his face. Pale wheat-coloured hair framed a sheepishly smiling face which held slightly worried green eyes. The earnest expression had Houju taking the extended hand, thus accepting the offered assistance and apology. Luckily nothing seemed bruised except maybe his pride, so he hurriedly dusted himself off and looked up to find that the other young man was looking at him with a concerned expression rather than the shocked slack-jawed look he was accustomed to seeing on others’ countenances.

 

“Are you okay…um.” The other had made a slight bow towards the black-haired youth and seemed to be waiting for an introduction.

 

“I am Kou Houju.” Houju gave his name, still marveling at the fact of a stranger being unaffected by his features, it was surprisingly refreshing.

 

“Pleased to meet you Kou-dono, I am Tei Yuushun.” Another slight bow and a small but genuine smile were directed towards Houju.

 

“You may call me Houju, we are both candidates and of an age, I do not mind.” On a whim, Houju startled himself by offering to let this boy call him by name – what would his father say?

 

“Oh, okay, Houju-dono and you may call me Yuushun; it is good to meet another candidate. Were you heading for the registration office as well?” At the answering nod, he smiled and indicating the office before them, he invited. “Let us walk together.” So said, Yuushun turned slightly to face the centre of the footpath and the building at the end which was their target. His dark robes swished around his legs and as he stepped forward Houju noticed, for the first time, that the other held a short unobtrusive cane, partly hidden by his voluminous robes.

 

“Are you alright Yuushun-san?” Houju inquired with slight dismay and concern. He had not even noticed the other man’s disability.

 

“Yes, I am fine. My leg is just as it was before I fell. Do not worry though, it does not bother me, Houju-dono." The light-haired youth smiled as he continued walking forward and Houju caught up to him after a few paces.

 

Thus, they made their way to the registration office where they needed to sign in to take the Kaishi exam. As they approached the doorway, it swung open and an older man clad in olive robes walked hurriedly, almost running, out of the large red doors, he seemed a bit ruffled, a bemused expression on his face. Houju held the door quickly to keep it from swinging shut and first Yuushun then he himself entered the office. And stopped, to take in the scene which was playing out before their eyes.

 

The office, as was typical, was small and rectangular containing a bookcase, a desk and two chairs one of which appeared to have been quickly pushed aside as it was half lying on its side upon the floor. What was really unusual though was a young man in cream and blue robes with red trimmings perched upon the desk, staring down the young official who was barely seated behind said desk, looking like he would take flight as soon as an opportunity presented itself.

 

“…to earn my displeasure!” The dark-haired young man on the desk made his statement, punctuated by a chopping motion with his hand, which had the young official clutching his neck and frantically imploring.

 

“Yes, I mean no, Kou-sama. I shall try my best to see your request…” Here he broke off at a look from the other man. “..Um rather I sh-shall make sure you get the accommodations you have requested bu- but it will take a little time to talk to my superior. There is no ranking for the exams and I will have to seek approval…” The brown-haired official was really panicked and sweat poured down his face onto his beige working robes and threatened to make his headpiece slip off his equally wet hair.

 

He looks so pathetic, Houju thought to himself as he looked at and dismissed the trembling official and turned his attention to the other. He did recognize the voice; it was the arrogant buffoon from before.

 

“Well, it seems that you are neither a man yourself, since grown men do not perch upon desks like cicada on boughs.” This was said in a sarcastic mocking tone, though there was still a hint of honey on silk under all that.

 

At the sound of that mocking voice Kou Reishin whipped his head around pony-tail flying, determined to know who dared to address him so. Surely they knew who he was…

 

“Oh, it’s you!” Reishin gracefully dismounted from the desk and fully faced the yellow-clad young man whom he recognized from the gates earlier. “So, you are an expert at manliness, are you now?” Reishin approached the two and stopped an arm’s length before them both. His bright brown eyes met Houju's darker brown ones and they stared at each other, neither giving ground. Reminicent of two tigers sizing up each other until both came to an understanding or one conceded, hopefully without bloodshed.

 

Suddenly, Reishin stretched out his right arm and waved a finger right before Houju’s face. “You are spirited, I like that. Kou Reishin. Remember the name, ja ne!”

 

With that, Kou Reishin strolled out of the office, a rather disturbing smirk on his face, seemingly having forgotten the official he had been intimidating mere moments ago.

 

Totally confused, Yuushun sought some clarification. “What was that about? Do you know that nobleman Houju-dono?”

 

“No I do not but I did encounter him at the gate. He is insufferably obnoxious. As you can see from the display he put on just now.” Disgust was evident in his statement and the accompanying dismissing wave of his hand towards the official desk. “He is gone now, let’s forget him and sign up.” While still talking, he reached into his sleeves and took out a yellow wooden token to show the official (who seemed to have recovered some of his colour and was carefully wiping his face with a white towel), likewise Yuushun took out a blue token. The young official wasted little time signing up the two and all the while muttering about taking a long lunch break as soon as they left.

 

So registration finished, they exited the building and stood on the top steps.

 

“Well, I need to locate my sponsor, so I shall see you this afternoon for the examination. I am happy to have made your acquaintance Kou Houju-dono.” “Likewise, Tei Yuushun-san.” They both bowed slightly to each other. Yuushun then turned to his right toward the covered walkway, off to locate his sponsor, his limp barely noticeable but there. His slow gait took him out of view beyond the side of the registration building.

 

After losing sight of the dark-robed young man, it was time to take his leave. Houju took the left footpath through an elegant flower-covered golden archway; head held high, silky unbound hair flowing behind him as he made his way to the assembly point.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in September 2007 an posted to the Saiunkoku comm at LJ. Yes, I am only now sharing. I had actually sort of forgotten this fic. LOL
> 
> I hope it was okay.
> 
> Feel free to drop me a comment. XD


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